Faith in Art Program

The Ignatian Story in Art

Whether it’s the awe-inspiring paintings in the caves of Lascaux, the breathtaking sculpture of the Greeks, or the ritualistic masks of African tribes, human beings have manipulated earthly materials to capture the transcendent and divine. In the Western Christian tradition, images have been used to share the story of Jesus, his teachings, and the shifting understanding of who the Christ is. Artists have used countless media to tell the bravery of the saints, the mysteries of the faith, and the work of the Body of Christ.

In the Jesuit tradition, where God is found in all things, the arts have been used to engage the human and the divine. For Ignatius, the appropriateness of any Jesuit pursuit was discerned by whether it promoted “the greater service of God and the more universal good.” As long as the making (and appreciation) of something achieves that purpose, there is room for it in the Ignatian world.

Regis’ Northwest Denver Campus contains art in the Catholic, Ignatian, and Western tradition, and images and artifacts from many other cultures. This embrace of other traditions indicates the Jesuit embrace of the whole world,
as well as a Catholic sensibility that the spirit of God pours into all of creation.